Vacuum

Alaska volcano maps - Mt. Redoubt, 2009

There are active volcanoes in Alaska, especially now including Mt. Redoubt.  It appears likely to erupt as of this writing, and I'm not expecting to be on the top of things when it does.  The Alaska Volcano Observatory is the best source of current information, and they are using twitter at @alaska_avo for updates.

Here are some sources for Alaska volcano maps - so you know where things are, how far apart the various places are, and what might be downwind.

Mt. Redoubt is in the Cook Inlet part of Alaska, near Anchorage. This map shows distances and links to the AVO's pages on the various volcanoes in this area. Mt. Redoubt is also historically known as Ujakushatsch, Viesokaia, Goreloi, Mirando, Redoubt Volcano, Redoubt, Mt., Yjakushatsch, Burnt Mtn., Goryalaya, Redoute Mtn. and Redutskaya, Sopka.

The Smithsonian has a collection of satellite imagery from volcanoes around the world. Here are their satellite photos of Mt. Redoubt from the ASTER Volcano Archive. These will load into Google Earth as KML files as well. The "plain" imagery from this are about 30 megapixels apiece and are from 2000; here's a piece of one of them.

Caribou Coffee Company Inc. is recalling Caribou Fruit and Nut Blend Trail Mix because the product could be contaminated with salmonella.

As seen on the Raleigh News and Observer recalls page:

Caribou Coffee Company Inc. is recalling Caribou Fruit and Nut Blend Trail Mix because the product could be contaminated with salmonella. This organism can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections, especially in young children, the elderly and those with weakened immune systems. No illnesses have been reported, according to the Minneapolis company. The recall involves the Caribou Fruit & Nut Blend Trail Mix, 3 ounce size, SKU No. 007845, with the sell by dates of March 3 and June 30 this year. The recalled Caribou Fruit and Nut Blend Trail Mix was distributed nationwide through Jan. 30, 2009. For more information, consumers can 888-227-4268.

When you call the 888-227-4268 number late on Friday night, you get a message that it's only answered on weekdays.  The CaribouCoffee.com web page does not have any information on the front page at this time.  I've looked for a press release on their corporate site, and no information is available.  The PR contact I have is

/CONTACT: Lauren Mihajlov of 
Caribou Coffee
, +1-763-592-2200,
lmihajlov@cariboucoffee.com/
 /Web site: http://www.cariboucoffee.com /
 (CBOU)


UPDATE Saturday (9am): from the PR contact:

Ed,

Thank you for your interest. The recall is entirely voluntary and
precautionary. We have pulled all of the product from stores and
notified the purchasers we have record of. We have no indication of
anyone becoming ill from this product.

Thank you for being such a passionate customer of Caribou Coffee!

Ann Arbor City Council, agenda, Feb 2 2009

This is the January 29, 2009 draft of the Feb 2, 2009 Ann Arbor City Council agenda, as retrieved from the city web site.  Any errors in transcription from PDF to text are my own; there are some small number of edits throughout, clearly marked, including hyperlinks as appropriate.

My copy of the PDF had various bits redacted, or at least it looked like they were redacted; in fact these are hyperlinks to the underlying documents.  I'll try to preserve as much of that as I have patience for but you'd be better off fetching the original.

City Council
City of Ann Arbor
Meeting Agenda
100 N. Fifth Avenue
Ann Arbor, MI  48104
www.a2gov.org
G. C. Larcom, Jr. Municipal Bldg. 2nd Flr.
7:00 PM
Monday, February 2, 2009
CALL TO ORDER
MOMENT OF SILENCE
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ROLL CALL OF COUNCIL
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
INT INTRODUCTIONS
INT-1 09-0006 Environmental Assessment Process for Airport Improvements
(Public Services - Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator)
PUBLIC COMMENTARY - RESERVED TIME (3 MINUTES PER SPEAKER)
* (SPEAKERS ARE NOT PERMITTED TO GRANT THEIR RESERVED TIME TO AN
ALTERNATE SPEAKER)
* ACCOMMODATIONS HAVE BEEN MADE FOR PERSONS NEEDING ASSISTANCE
WHILE ADDRESSING COUNCIL
PH PUBLIC HEARINGS (3 MINUTES PER SPEAKER)
PH-1 09-0059
Resolution to Approve the Gas Station/Tim Hortons Site Plan, 1.32
Acres, 3240 Washtenaw Avenue, (CPC Recommendation:  Approval - 8
Yeas and 1 Nay)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
(See DB-1)
PH-2 09-0060
Resolution to Approve the Wintermeyer Office Building Phase 2
Planned Project Site Plan, 1.87-Acres, 2144 and 2178 South State
Street, (CPC Recommendation: Approval - 9 Yeas and 0 Nays)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
(See DB-2)
Page 1
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009
February 2, 2009
City Council Meeting Agenda
PH-3 09-0063
Resolution to Modify Fees at the City Golf Courses Effective for the
2009 Golf Season and Increase the Senior Citizen Qualification Age
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
(See DS-9)
COMMUNICATIONS FROM COUNCIL
A APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MINUTES
A-1 09-0077
City Council Regular Session Minutes of January 20, 2009
(City Clerk - Jacqueline Beaudry)
CA CONSENT AGENDA
CA-1 09-0058
Resolution Recognizing Vincent York's Jazzistry as a Civic Nonprofit
Organization Operating in Ann Arbor for the Purpose of Obtaining a
Charitable Gaming License
(City Clerk - Jacqueline Beaudry)
CA-2 09-0062
Resolution Recognizing The Ann Arbor Art Center as a Civic Nonprofit
Organization Operating in Ann Arbor for the Purpose of Obtaining a
Charitable Gaming License
(City Clerk - Jacqueline Beaudry)
B ORDINANCES - SECOND READING
C ORDINANCES - FIRST READING
C-1 08-1167
An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 26, Solid Waste Ordinance, Sections
2:1, 2:2, 2:3, 2:5, 2:7, 2:9, 2:10 and 2:13 to Implement Commercial
Recycling Recommendations
(Systems Planning Services - Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator)
C-2 09-0055
An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 55, Section 5:110 to Allow Certain
Zoning Petitions to be Waived from Citizens Participation Requirements
(CPC Recommendation: Approval - 9 Yeas and 0 Nay)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
D MOTIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
DC New Business - Council:
Page 2
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009
February 2, 2009
City Council Meeting Agenda
DC-1 09-0065
Resolution Establishing the Line of Succession to the Emergency
Management Director for the City of Ann Arbor Office of Emergency
Management
(City Council - Lt. Myron Blackwell, Safety Services)
Sponsors: Hieftje
DB New Business - Boards and Commissions:
DB-1 09-0059
Resolution to Approve the Gas Station/Tim Hortons Site Plan, 1.32
Acres, 3240 Washtenaw Avenue, (CPC Recommendation:  Approval - 8
Yeas and 1 Nay)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
(See PH-1)
DB-2 09-0060
Resolution to Approve the Wintermeyer Office Building Phase 2
Planned Project Site Plan, 1.87-Acres, 2144 and 2178 South State
Street, (CPC Recommendation: Approval - 9 Yeas and 0 Nays)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
(See PH-2)
DS Old Business - Staff:
DS-1 08-1147
Resolution to Approve a Grant Contract with the Michigan Department
of Transportation for Work Related to the Environmental Assessment
and Preliminary Engineering for the Safety Extension of Runway 6/24 at
the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport ($179,000.00)
(Fleet & Facilities Services - Sue F. McCormck, Public Services Area Administrator)
(Postponed from the 1/20/09 Regular Session)
DS-2 08-1148
Resolution to Approve a Grant Contract with the Michigan Department
of Transportation for Work Related to the Environmental Assessment
and Integrated Noise Modeling for the Safety Extension of Runway 6/24
at the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport ($75,000.00)
(Fleet & Facilities Services - Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Area Administrator)
(Postponed from the 1/20/09 Regular Session)
Page 3
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009
February 2, 2009
City Council Meeting Agenda
DS-3 08-1144
Resolution to Approve the October 2008 Professional Services
Agreement between the City and URS Corporation Great Lakes for
Work Related to the Environmental Assessment and Preliminary
Engineering for the Safety Extension of Runway 6/24 at the Ann Arbor
Municipal Airport ($186,000.00) 
(Public Services - Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator)
(Postponed from the 1/20/09 Regular Session)
DS-4 08-1145
Resolution to Approve the December 16, 2008 Professional Services
Agreement between the City and Smith Group JJR, LLC for Work
Related to the Environmental Assessment for the Safety Extension of
Runway 6/24 at the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport ($112,489.53) 
(Fleet & Facilities Services - Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator)
(Postponed from the 1/20/09 Regular Session)
DS-5 08-1162
Resolution to Approve Amendment No. 1 to Existing Professional
Services Contract with Beckett & Raeder, Inc. to Increase the Contract
Budget by $122,862.62 for a Total Contract Amount of $232,246.62, 
Accept and Appropriate  $13,538.67 Grant from the DDA, Appropriate
$30,661.97 from the Market Fund Fund Balance, Transfer $48,000.00
from the Stormwater Fund FY09 Operations and Maintenance Budget,
Appropriate  $30,661.98 from the Parks Rehabilitation and Development
Millage Fund Balance, and Appropriate $122,862.62 from the Parks
Rehabilitation and Development Millage to the Farmers Market Master
Plan Construction Design Project Budget to Create a Total Project
Budget of $2,056,900.00 (8 Votes Required)
(Parks and Recreation Services - Jayne Miller, Community Services Administrator)
(Postponed from the 1/20/09 Regular Session)
New Business - Staff:
DS-6 09-0064
Resolution to Approve an Amendment to the Construction Manager
Agreement with Clark Construction Co. for the Courts/Police Building
($35,874,422.00)
(Public Services - Sue F. McCormick, Public Services Administrator)
DS-7 09-0012
Resolution to Approve the Management Agreement with Washtenaw
County to Administer the Barrier Busters Program and to Release the
Fund Balance of $10,636.00 in the Ann Arbor Assistance Fund (0038) to
Washtenaw County ($10,636.00 Ann Arbor Assistance Fund) (8 Votes
Required)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
Page 4
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009
February 2, 2009
City Council Meeting Agenda
DS-8 08-1171
Resolution Accepting the Warranty Deed from Charter Oak Homes, Inc.
(Mallets Creek Park) (8 votes Required)
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
DS-9 09-0063
Resolution to Modify Fees at the City Golf Courses Effective for the
2009 Golf Season and Increase the Senior Citizen Qualification Age
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
(See PH-3)
E COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE MAYOR
COMMUNICATIONS FROM COUNCIL
F COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY ADMINISTRATOR
F-1 08-1169
City-County Shared IT Data Center
(Information Technology Services - Dan Rainey, ITSD Director)
F-2 09-0057
Fourth Quarter 2008 Investment Portfolio Report
(Financial and Administrative Services - Tom Crawford, CFO)
G COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY
H & I CLERK'S REPORT OF COMMUNICATIONS, PETITIONS AND REFERRALS
H The following communications were referred as indicated:
H-1 09-0075
Communication from SEMCOG regarding their Regional Update
Biweekly Publication of SEMCOG, Vol. 14, No. 1, January 12, 2009 -
File
(City Clerk)
H-2 09-0076
Communication from Washtenaw County Administrator Robert E.
Gunzel, regarding an opportunity to discuss future collaborations
between Washtenaw County and the City - File
(City Clerk)
I The following minutes were received for file:
Page 5
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009
February 2, 2009
City Council Meeting Agenda
I-1 09-0013
Recreation Advisory Commission Minutes - December 2, 2008
(Community Services - Jayne Miller, Area Administrator)
I-2 09-0016
Council Liquor License Review Committee - December 12, 2008
(City Clerk - Jacqueline Beaudry)
I-3 09-0022
Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority Minutes - December 3,
2008
(Downtown Development Authority - Susan Pollay, Executive Director)
I-4 09-0023
Downtown Area Citizens Advisory Council Minutes December 3, 2008
(Downtown Development Authority - Susan Pollay, Executive Director)
I-5 09-0026
Greenbelt Advisory Minutes of November 5, 2008
(City Clerk)
I-6 09-0053
City of Ann Arbor Employees' Retirement System Minutes - December
18, 2008
(Employees' Retirement System Board of Trustees - Willie Powell, Executive Director)

{{{

editor's note: an excerpt from this document

F-2 Preliminary Investment Reports for the Month Ended November 30,
2008
 
N. Gail Jarskey, Accountant, submitted the Financial Report for the month ended
November 30, 2008, to the Board of Trustees:
 
11/30/2008 Asset Value (Preliminary) $313,998,772
10/31/2008 Asset Value (Audited by Northern) $332,722,023
Calendar YTD Increase/Decrease in Assets 
(excludes non-investment receipts and disbursements) ($116,890,427)
Percent Gain <Loss> -26.3%
December 17, 2008 Asset Value $ 315,700,984

}}}

I-7 09-0054
City of Ann Arbor Retiree Health Care Benefit Plan & Trust Minutes -
December 18, 2008
(Employees' Retirement System Board of Trustees - Willie Powell, Executive Director)
PUBLIC COMMENT - GENERAL (3 MINUTES EACH)
CLOSED SESSION TO DISCUSS PENDING LITIGATION AND ATTORNEY / CLIENT
PRIVILEGED COMMUNICATION AND/OR LAND ACQUISITION
ADJOURNMENT
COMMUNITY TELEVISION NETWORK (CTN) CABLE CHANNEL 16:
LIVE:  MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2009; 7:00 PM
REPLAYS:  TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2009 10:00 AM AND FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6, 2009
7:30 PM
REPLAYS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE
Page 6
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009
February 2, 2009
City Council Meeting Agenda
Persons with disabilities are encouraged to participate.  Accommodations, including
sign language interpreters, may be arranged by contacting the City Clerk's Office by
telephone at 734-794-6140 or by written request addressed to the City Clerk's Office,
100 N. Fifth Ave., Ann Arbor, MI  48104, at least 24 hours in advance.
A hard copy of this Council packet can be viewed at the front counter of the City
Clerk's office.
Page 7
City of Ann Arbor Printed on 1/29/2009

Kentucky power outage map, Jan 28 2009, 4pm

As found on the LG&E storm info page

Dated 1/28/2009, 4pm; the image itself does not have any watermarks, copyrights, or other credits, so any conclusions you draw will be your own.  It does clearly show the extent of the storm, though I don't know if the no-damage areas are outside of this power company's service area or if they are really undamaged.

More Kentucky storm info news:

Kentucky.com / Lexington Herald-Leader:

525,000 without power across Kentucky; governor asks for help

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear has asked the Obama administration for a federal emergency disaster declaration to deal with widespread power outages and cleanup from a powerful winter storm that hammered Kentucky this week.

The state, along with 68 counties and 36 cities, were operating under states of emergency as ice continued to drag down power lines and branches clogged roadways.

E.ON storm update 9pm Weds

Ice Storm Update - updated 9 p.m., January 28

A significant winter storm is currently affecting our service area.

As of 9 p.m., 100,000 LG&E customers are without power. KU has 175,000 customers without power throughout the state.

• Overall, 5,800 wires are down, up about a thousand more than what were down as a result of the September 2008 wind storm.
• We are pulling resources from the southern states of Georgia (1,100 workers), Tennessee, North Carolina and South Carolina, as well as some from Michigan to assist with the restoration.
• Estimating 7 to 10 days before full restoration will occur in LG&E's service area.
• Statewide, full restoration may take up to two weeks.
• The potential exists for additional outages as the weight of snow and ice can be enough to snap or bend tree limbs, causing them to bring down power lines disrupting electrical service. In severe ice storms, the weight of large accumulations of ice on power lines themselves can cause the lines to fall without the involvement of trees.

Fox 19 Cincinnati / Northern Kentucky:  phone numbers to call utilities in the area

as always holler if you find any more utility power outage maps.

City of Ann Arbor February 2009 calendar (rescued from a PDF)

The original "Tree Town Log (PDF)" is here, with minor edits for links, line breaks, additional phone number etc; times and dates subject to change; no warranty etc etc.

For more information, call the city information desk at 734.994.2700 during regular business hours or visit our Web site at: www.a2gov.org. Meetings and events can also be found at www.a2gov.org/calendar.

PLEASE NOTE: As of January 2009, some city public meetings have been relocated due to the upcoming construction of the Ann Arbor Municipal Center. New locations are noted with meeting entries. For parking information, please visit the Ann Arbor
Downtown Development Authority Web site at www.a2dda.org

{Editor's note: or call +1 734 272 0909 for real time parking info by phone}

Also being relocated for the month of February only is the parks and recreation customer service office. Temporary location is at Buhr Park, 2751 Packard
Road.

Register for Summer Day camps!
Summer day camp registration begins March 2!
www.a2gov.org/parks.

Open Saturdays only, 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Ann Arbor Farmers Market, 315 Detroit St., NEW NUMBER: 734.794.6255.

{Editor's note: make sure to say hi to Molly when you are there!}

Sundays
1 p.m. Social Bridge — Ann Arbor Senior Center #.
All ages welcome. Doors open at 12:30 p.m.
Mondays
11 a.m. Knitting/Sewing — Ann Arbor Senior
Center #.
1 p.m. Mah Jong — Ann Arbor Senior Center #.

Monday – Wednesday, February 2 – 4, 6 – 9 p.m. Studio Class — Community Television Network, 2805 S. Industrial, suite 200; www.a2gov.org/ctn. Learn lighting, set design, camera composition, audio set up and more. Free. Must attend all three days. Open to residents of Ann Arbor or representatives of a not-for-profit based in Ann Arbor. Call 734.794.6150, extension 0, to sign up.

Monday, February 2
7 p.m. City Council Meeting (Regular Session) — Second floor, Council chambers, City Hall.  Live on CTN 16. Replays: Tues. 2/3 at 10 a.m. and Fri. 2/6
7:30 p.m.

{Editor's note: Also view on demand on the CTN web site}

Tuesdays
Ann Arbor Senior Center#
9:30 a.m. Bridge
9:30 a.m. Game Day
10 a.m. Scrabble
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Investing Basics

Tuesday, February 3
4 p.m. Land Acquisition Committee — Second floor, Council workroom, City Hall.
City Planning Commission (Business Meeting) — CANCELLED.
7:30 p.m. Downtown Citizens Advisory Council — Fourth floor conference room, City Hall.

Wednesdays
12:45 – 4 p.m. ACBL Bridge — Ann Arbor Senior Center #. Fee: $5. 

Wednesdays, February 4, 11 and 18
9:30 – 11 a.m. Tyke Programs: Snowflake Science and Icicle Imagination — Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road. Pre-registration is required. Cost: $43. Details: 734.997.1553 / www.lesliesnc.org.

Wednesday, February 4
Noon Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority Meeting — DDA office, 150 S. Fifth Ave., Suite 301.

Thursdays
9:30 – 10:30 a.m. Medstar Fitness — Ann Arbor Senior Center #. Functional fitness in a relaxing and slow-paced fitness class.
9:30 a.m. Men’s Club — Ann Arbor Senior Center
#
.
Noon ACBL Bridge  — Ann Arbor Senior Center #. Fee: $5. 

Thursday, February 5
7 – 10 p.m. Public Meeting: Huron River and Impoundment Management Plan Committee — Location TBD. Visit www.a2gov.org/green or call 734.997.1596 for updates and background documents. These meetings will share the committee vision and discuss options to manage the city impoundments. 

Fridays
1 p.m. Socrates Café — Ann Arbor Senior Center #.
Discussions using Socratic critical message method.
Friday, February 6
9:30 – 11 a.m. Tiny Tots — Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, 734.997.1553 / www.lesliesnc.org. Hikes, songs, stories, puppets, games, crafts and a stop in to the Critter House.
Weekly themes. Fee: $7 per child, ages 1 to 3 years old with a caregiver. Pre registration not required.

Monday, February 9
7 p.m. City Council Meeting (Work Session) — Second floor, Council chambers, City Hall. Live on CTN 16. Replays: Tues. 2/10 at 10 a.m. and Fri. 2/13 7:30
p.m.

Monday – Wednesday, February 9 – 11
6 – 9 p.m. Edit Workshop — Community Television Network, 2805 S. Industrial, suite 200; www.a2gov.org/ctn. Learn to operate digital editing and graphics
equipment. Free. Must attend all three days. Open to residents of Ann Arbor or representatives of a not-for-profit based in Ann Arbor. Call 734.794.6150,
extension 0, to sign up.

February 10 – March 17
1 – 2:30 p.m. Yoga — Ann Arbor Senior Center #.
Improve strength, flexibility, functionality and stress-
management. Enjoy a full workout, complete with
restorative relaxation. Fee: $54/ $43 for residents

Tuesday, February 10
7:30 – 8:30 a.m. Steward’s Circle — Bruegger’s Bagels – 709 N. University Ave. Learn how to care for our natural areas. Join an informal discussion with volunteer and professional land stewards and others interested in nature. Details: www.stewardshipnetwork.org.
3 p.m. Sign Board of Appeals — NEW LOCATION: County Building, 200 N. Main, lower level conference room. 
5:30 – 7 p.m. Ann Arbor Energy Commission — NEW LOCATION: County Administration Building, 220 N. Main Street, County Board of Commission public
meeting room. Live on CTN 16. Replays: Wed. 2/11 at 10 a.m.; Sun. 2/15 at 2 p.m. 
7 p.m. City Planning Commission (Working Session) — Sixth floor conference room, City Hall.
7 p.m. Stadium/Iroquois Water Main Replacement Project Public Meeting —
Pattengill Elementary School, 2100 Crestland Drive.
Informational meeting for residents of Stadium on the block between Packard and Iroquois, and along Iroquois Place, regarding summer 2009 construction.

Wednesday, February 11
1:30 p.m. Building Board of Appeals — NEW LOCATION: County Building, 200 N. Main, lower level conference room. 
4:30 p.m. Greenbelt Advisory Committee — NEW LOCATION: County Administration Building, 220 N. Main Street, County Board of Commission public meeting room. Replays: Thurs. 2/12 at 10 a.m.; Sat. 2/14 at 9 a.m.
7 p.m. Human Rights Commission — Large fourth floor conference room, City Hall.

Thursday, February 12
7 p.m. Historic District Commission — Second floor, Council chambers, City Hall. Live on CTN 16. Replays: Fri. 2/13 at 10 a.m.; Sat. 2/14 at noon. 

February 13 – March 20
9 – 10:30 a.m. Beginning Bridge — Ann Arbor
Senior Center#. Fee: $36. 
11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Useful Conventions in
Bridge — Ann Arbor Senior Center#. Fee: $36.
1:30 – 3:30 p.m. Two over One Bridge
strategies Game Force — Ann Arbor Senior
Center#. Fee: $45. 

Fridays, February 13 and 27
12:30 p.m. Movie Matinee — Ann Arbor Senior
Center #.
Friday, February 13
7:15 – 8:45 p.m. Funky Frosty Fridays:
Valentine’s Skate — Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena,
2751 Packard Road, NEW NUMBER: 734.794.6234
/ www.a2gov.org/buhr. Skate to a romantic mix of
music. Call or go online for rates.

Saturday, February 14
10 a.m. – 2 p.m. MRF Open House: Worm Bin Workshop — Materials Recovery Facility, 4150 Platt Road. Join us for a workshop on vermicomposting and building your own worm box.  A complete worm bin kit is only $25. All are welcome to attend the free presentation; those making a worm box must pre register by Feb. 11 to 734.997.1553. Space is limited for each of two separate sessions starting at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

February 16 – March 23
9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Advanced Bridge Class,
“Standard American Yellow Card system” —  
Ann Arbor Senior Center #. Fee: $45.

Monday, February 16
Presidents Day — City government offices closed.
No interruption in solid waste collection.

8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Days Off Outdoors —
Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, 734.997.1553 / www.lesliesnc.org. Explore the forest, fields and trails. Pizza lunch is provided. Fee:
$60. For children in grades K-5.
Noon – 2 p.m. School Break Skating — Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Rink, 2751 Packard Road, NEW NUMBER: 734.794.6234 / www.a2gov.org/buhr. Call or go online for rates.

Tuesday, February 17
6 - 7 p.m. CTN Preview Session — Community Television Network, 2805 S. Industrial, suite 200; www.a2gov.org/ctn. This is the first step to taking CTN’s free television production classes. Tour the studios and learn about CTN’s history and services. Must be a resident of Ann Arbor or a representative of a not-for-profit based in Ann Arbor. Call 734.794.6150, extension 0, to sign up.
7 p.m. City Council Meeting (Regular Session) — Second floor, Council chambers, City Hall. Live on CTN 16.  Replays: Wed. 2/18 at 10 a.m.; Fri. 2/20 at 7:30 p.m.

Wednesday, February 18
3:15 p.m. Commission on Disability Issues — NEW LOCATION: Community Television Network studio, 2805 S. Industrial, Suite 200. Live on CTN 16.
Replays: Thurs. 2/19 at 10 a.m.; Sat. 2/21 at 3 p.m.
6 p.m. Ann Arbor Housing Commission – AAHC Conference Room, 727 Miller Avenue.

Thursday, February 19
5 p.m. Public Market Advisory Commission — NEW LOCATION: County Building, 200 N. Main, Lower Level Conference Room.
7 p.m. City Planning Commission (Regular Meeting) — Second floor, Council chambers, City Hall. Live on CTN 16.  Replays: Fri. 2/20 at 10 a.m. and
Sun. 2/22 2 p.m.

Saturday, February 21
2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Buhr Blitz Day — Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Rink, 2751 Packard Road, NEW NUMBER: 734.794.6234 / www.a2gov.org/buhr. General admission rates apply. Join us for an afternoon of special games, contests and prizes.
7 – 9 p.m. Owl Prowl —  Leslie Science and Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road, 734.997.1553 / www.lesliesnc.org. Night hikes, owl calling and visits with live owls will fill the evening with wonder as we discover how ears, eyes and feathers help owls
survive the night. Fee: $8 per person, $30 per family.
All ages invited. Adult is required.

Monday-Friday, February 23 – 27
9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Winter  Break Camp — Leslie
Science & Nature Center, 1831 Traver Road,
734.997.1553 / www.lesliesnc.org. Celebrate the
splendor of winter with games, sledding, hikes,
crafts, stories and experiments. Investigate and
discover nature’s winter surprises. Fee: $225. 
Noon – 2 p.m. School Break Skating — Buhr Park
Outdoor Ice Rink, 2751 Packard Road, NEW NUMBER:
734.794.6234 / www.a2gov.org/buhr. Call or go online
for rates.

Monday – Wednesday, February 23
– 25
6 – 9 p.m. Hotline Studio Class — Community
Television Network, 2805 S. Industrial, suite 200;
www.a2gov.org/ctn. Learn how to operate cameras
from a remote desk while hosting a show. Free. Must
attend all three days. Open to residents of Ann Arbor or
representatives of a not-for-profit based in Ann Arbor.
Call 734.794.6150, extension 0, to sign up.

Tuesday, February 24
4 p.m. Park Advisory Commission — NEW
LOCATION: County Administration Building, 220 N. Main
Street, County Board of Commission Public Meeting
Room. Live on CTN 16.  Replays: Sat. 2/28 at 9 a.m.; Mon.
3/2 at 10 a.m.
7 p.m. Cable Communications — Community
Television Network studio, 2805 S. Industrial, Suite 200.
Live on CTN 16. Replays: Wed. 2/25 at 10 a.m.; Sat. 2/28
at 9 a.m.

Wednesday, February 25
7 p.m. Zoning Board of Appeals — Second floor,
Council chambers, City Hall. Live on CTN 16. Replays:
Thurs. 2/26 at 10 a.m.; Sat. 2/28 at 3 p.m.

Thursday, February 26
7 p.m. Environmental Commission — Sixth floor
conference room, City Hall. Live on CTN 16. Replays: Fri.
2/10 at 10 a.m.; Sun. 2/22 at 7 p.m.

Friday, February 27
7:15 – 8:45 p.m. Funky Frosty Fridays: Rock the
80s Skate — Buhr Park Outdoor Ice Arena, 2751
Packard Road, NEW NUMBER: 734.794.6234 / www.
a2gov.org/buhr. Sport the spandex, big hair and skate to
the best of the 80s music. Call or go online for rates.
Persons with disabilities are encouraged to participate
in public meetings. Accommodations, including sign
language interpreters, may be arranged by contacting
the City Clerk’s office at 734.794.6140 (NEW NUMBER) or
by written request via e-mail to jbeaudry@a2gov.org, or
mailed or delivered to the City Clerk’s office, 100 N. Fifth
Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Requests need to be received
at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.

#
Ann Arbor Senior Center is located at 1320 Baldwin
Ave., NEW NUMBER: 734.794.6250.
Ann Arbor City Hall (Guy C. Larcom Jr. Municipal
Building) is located at 100 N. Fifth Ave.

President Obama on the Freedom of Information Act

From President Obama in his memo to the heads of federal agencies:

A democracy requires accountability, and accountability requires transparency.  As Justice Louis Brandeis wrote, “sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.”  In our democracy, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which encourages accountability through transparency, is the most prominent expression of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open Government.  At the heart of that commitment is the idea that accountability is in the interest of the Government and the citizenry alike.

The Freedom of Information Act should be administered with a clear presumption: In the face of doubt, openness prevails.  The Government should not keep information confidential merely because public officials might be embarrassed by disclosure, because errors and failures might be revealed, or because of speculative or abstract fears.  Nondisclosure should never be based on an effort to protect the personal interests of Government officials at the expense of those they are supposed to serve.  In responding to requests under the FOIA, executive branch agencies (agencies) should act promptly and in a spirit of cooperation, recognizing that such agencies are servants of the public.

Thanks to Jennifer Hall, board chair for the Ann Arbor Downtown Development Authority for passing this along.

Tues 1/27: Lunch meeting to plan coworking space at Arcadian Too, Main St Ann Arbor

Noted 3/2011: this is the space that turned into the Workantile Exchange.

Forwarded for Mike Kessler:

What:    A free lunch meeting to introduce, create, and design the new coworking space in Ann Arbor
Where:    118 S. Main St. in the former Arcadian Too Antiques space
When:    Tuesday, January 27,  2009 12 Noon
What:    Work has begun!  The space is being created.  Come and be an advocate for your vision of what the space looks like, acts like and how it is organized

RSVP in the comment field at     http://coworkinga2.wordpress.com;  I need to get a fairly accurate count for the food.

So far the walls have been stripped to brick,  the acoustic ceiling tiles have come down, and the tile and carpeted floor has been pulled up to reveal the original wood floor.  The space looks great!  If things go smoothly (do things ever go smoothly?) the space can be opened to all in March.

Big questions remain: Please come and give your input.

Contact me at coworkinga2@gmail.com with any questions

Legal Education Commons: open source access to 700,000 court decisions

noted!  if you are going to law school, and need to read a case for class, here's a source for 700,000 cases and case notes. 

Legal Education Commons Launches with Open Access to 700,000 Court Decisions LEC is an online source for legal academia to freely find and share open educational materials.   Chicago, Ill., January 26, 2008 – Starting today, legal educators will have the capability to search, make use of, and share more legal educational materials than ever before. The Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction (“CALI”), in collaboration with Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, is launching an open, searchable collection of resources designed specifically for use in legal education: a “Legal Education Commons” (“LEC”). “All teachers of law have materials and notes they use in teaching,” says John Mayer, CALI Executive Director. “Many freely share their materials with colleagues, but there has never been a singular searchable, taggable space to serve that function for the entire legal academy,” he explains, “until now.” The LEC is available online at www.cali.org/lec. FINDING TEACHING MATERIALS IN LEC The Legal Education Commons launches with over 700,000 federal court decisions readily available to its users. This initial collection of cases from public.resource.org makes the LEC one of the largest gatherings of case law freely available in one place under a creative commons license. CALI has also donated 300 original illustrations from its popular online tutorials, “CALI Lessons,” making the Legal Education Commons the first and largest pool of free images designed specifically for use in legal education. SHARING TEACHING MATERIALS IN LEC While the LEC opens with an extensive collection of court cases and images, it can expand its collection of resources only through contributions and donations from the legal education community. CALI implores faculty and staff at CALI member schools to share any files from personal collections that may facilitate learning amongst the legal education community. “Especially as we increasingly garner more participation and sharing from legal educators,” says Mr. Mayer, “the Legal Education Commons will be a great, non-commercial tool for those who are both teaching and learning the law.” Faculty and staff at CALI member schools may upload nearly any type of file – from most text documents to presentations and MP3’s as large as 50 MB – and share it with the LEC community under a Creative Commons Share Alike license. The Creative Commons license allows the author to retain copyright in the material, but allows others to use, share, and make derivative works so long as proper attribution is made and the derivative is licensed under this, or a compatible, license. If you would like to find current LEC resources or upload and share your own files, visit www.cali.org/lec. ABOUT CALI CALI is a non-profit consortium of U.S. law schools with a mission to improve legal education through innovation. CALI was incorporated in 1982 by the law schools of Harvard and the University of Minnesota. Today CALI has offices at the law schools of the University of Minnesota, Chicago-Kent, and Emory. The consortium welcomes membership from law schools, paralegal programs, law firms, and any organization that wishes to learn more about the law. Over 200 US law schools are a part of CALI . More information is available at www.cali.org. ABOUT JOHN MAYER John Mayer is an expert in the use of technology and innovation in legal education. He has served as the Executive Director of CALI since 1994 and has worked in the field of technology/innovation in legal education for over 20 years. Mr. Mayer has a BS in Computer Science from Northwestern University and an MS in Networks and Telecommunications from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He is available for comments and questions related to legal education and technology. Contact John at jmayer@cali.org. ### Contact: Austin Groothuis CALI 312-906-5303 agroothuis@cali.org

snarge: something's sticking to my windshield

One of my very favorite weblogs from Michigan Tech is the aptly named Backyard Arthropod Project: A Field Guide to the North Side of Old Mill Hill, Atlantic Mine, MI, which is written in a style that a professional metallurgist and amateur entomologist can do.  It's hosted on somethingscrawlinginmyhair.com .

This week's post is a very lovely photo set of a Canadian Tiger Swallowtail butterfly.  The account of the identification of the Papilio canadensis is accompanied by a story of how it was collected, footnoted of course, with this note about the use of the word "snarge":

[2] I just heard this word on the news recently, as a direct result of the airliner that had to ditch in the Hudson river when its engines both quit, possibly due to birds getting sucked into them. It seems that, when birds hit aircraft, the FAA always wants to know what kind of bird it was, so that they can figure out their habits and try to work out how to keep them away from the planes. So, they send any remains that they find stuck to the plane afterwards to the Smithsonian Institution’s Feather Identification Laboratory, who figure out what it was when it was alive. The technical term for these remains is “snarge”. Technically, I suppose it is limited to what you get when birds collide with aircraft, but I think it is legitimate to generalise it to “remains of any animal after colliding with any vehicle”. So the bug smears on your windshield, and the moths in your radiator, are all snarge.

When my stepdad used to collect recently deceased animals to have his students check for parasites for his biology classes at Northern Michigan University, we called it roadkill; I guess snarge is a fancy federal name for airborne roadkill.

The FAA Airport Wildlife Hazard Mitigation Home Page has much much more information on this topic, including a searchable database of bird strikes and lots of detailed data.

whitehouse.gov: sending data to statse.webtrendslive.com

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